Indian Defence Review

From:
Dr SS Arulanandam
Periyamaraddy
Chavakachcheri

To:
Maj Gen Sardeshpande
General Officer Commanding
Palaly

Dated: 5 May 1988

Enclosed is the photo-copy of ‘Eelam News’ published in ‘Junior Vikatam’, a Madras-based weekly newspaper.

Accept our congratulations and compliments for that courageous stand you took at the risk of your career prospects. Because you are a servant of democratic India, you are able to continue in office. If it happens in Sri Lanka, you are fired out of office.

I have brought to your notice, and you all are also aware, of about 40 violations of the peace Accord by the Sri Lankan Government. The power­ful elder brother (Govt. of India) has not done anything about it, but is spending its energy in weakening the LTTE – that means weakening the Tamils.

The Tamils enjoyed equality during British rule. With independence, they were oppressed and made third class Sri Lankans. After mother Indira Gandhi assumed power, the Tamils gained some strength and were ableto raise their heads. But now, they are being weakened by the actions of the IPKF, who came to save the Tamils and give security to them. I must again say that a crying baby cannot be stopped from crying until at least a empty teat is kept in its mouth.

If you get the Sri Lankan Government to implement the Accord and keep its promises and stop Sinhala colonisation, and if the Tamils are confident that they could live with some form of integrity, the LTTE will lay down arms without anyone asking for it. If they lay down arms now, they feel it would be a betrayal of the Tamil cause. They are waiting for the minimum aspirations of the Tamils to be met with.

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Instead of India asking the LTTE to lay down arms, for India to talk with the LTTE, India should see the implementation of the Tamil demands. There is no room for dialogue once they surrender arms and become slaves, for their strength will be lost and they will have to accept whatever is dictated to them.

We are happy you projected our feelings and the image of Jaffna. No IPKF men should lose their lives as they came here to keep peace. No militant youths of Tamil freedom fighting organisations should lose their lives as they have to fill the vacuum created by the IPKF when they leave the country. At this juncture, we once again request the Govt. of India to start negotiations to win the hearts of the LTTE and then get them to lay down arms.

Thanking you once again for your courageous stand. May God bless peace.

Dr SS Arulanandam